Automatic stoker.



Nb. 737,306. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

H. L. WILSON. I

AUTOMATIC STOKBR APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 27. 1902.

HO'MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- ma NORRIS ."EYER5 c0 worm vmmwnsumammu a 'No. 737,806. v I PATENTED .AUG. 25, 1903..

H. L. WILSON.

AUTOMATIC STD-KER.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 2'1} 1902.

' K0 MODEL.

773E192 asses: 172067215472 I 'Zsan Harryl m 1 .flzzy I THE NoRms PETER to mom LITHO WASHYNC-Tow o c l atented August 25, 1903 7 PATENT OFFICE.

nAnR L. WILSON, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC STOKER.

srncrrrcarrou forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,306, dated August 25, 1903. Application filed September 2 7, 1902 .Serial No. 125,076. (No model.)

- Be it known that I, HARRY L. WILSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Erie,

in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and 1186-. ful Automatic Stoker, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

- This invention relates to automatic stokers, the object in view being to provide means for uniformly feeding the fuel .to the combustion chamber and floor, spreading or distributing the fuel evenly over the combustion-floor, and simultaneously subjecting all of the fuel to a radiating air-blast whereby'the fuel is thoroughly coked and consumed and the furnace rendered practically smokeless.

One object of the present invention is to produce an automatic stoker which may be manufactured complete before application to the brickwork or setting, thus insuring the proper assemblage of the working parts of the stoker. The stoker contemplated in this invention takes care of the fuel from the time it is placed in the hopper until the unconsumed parts thereof are delivered into the soakingpit located beneath the combustion chamber and floor.

With the above and other objects in view the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention con-.

sists'in the novel construction, combination,

. and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through a furnace, showing an automatic stoker constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stoker complete and ready to be set up. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the furnace, showing the stoker in position. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical longitudinal section through the endv portion of one of the blast-tubes. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the blast-radiator. Fig. 6 illustrates in end and plan view the spreader. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view showing a modified form of feed and blast chambers. I

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 1ngs.'-. 1

The automatic stoker contemplated in this invention comprises a feed-chamber 1, which is preferably cylindrical in shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and adapted to contain a spiral or screw Econveyer or feeder 2 working 'therein,theinner or discharge end of-thefeedchamber being enlarged or flared to form a bell-shaped discharge end 3, while the adjacent end of the screw-feeder is correspond- 'ingly enlarged to insure the proper feeding of v the fuel upon the combustion-floor, hereinaf- 'ter particularly described. 1

The feed-chamber 1 is surrounded by a blast or air chamber 4., which conforms to the shape of the feed-chamber and is enlarged or expanded at the inner end in bell shape, as

shown, a series of blast-openings or port-holes v 5 leading from the blast-chamber into the discharge end of the feed-chamber, while 'another series of blast-holes 6 lead through the end portion of the blast-chamber directly into the fire-box, thus providing for the double discharge of air into the fuel at the moment it is forced upon the combustion-floor.

7 designates a blast-supply which communicates by preference with the rear or outer end of the blast-chamber 4.

The inner end of the blast-chamber and feed-chamber is surrounded by a water-jacket 8, the object of which is to keep down the temperature of that end of the feeder'which is exposed to the cross-head. 'W'ater-circula- I tion pipes 9 lead to and from the water-jacket 8 and provide for a continuous circulation of cold water therethrough.

10 designates the fuel-hopper,'by means of which the coal is fed by gravity into the feed chamber 1, where it is taken up and acted upon by the feeder 2 and forcedalong the feed-chamber until it is discharged upon the combustion-floor.

The combined grate and blast-radiator consists'of a plurality of blast-tubes 11, two or more of which may be employed, as shown best in Fig. 2. Each tube is substantially rectangular in cross-sectionandlarger at one end than at the other, which gives to each tube when in position an inclined upper surface 12 and a reversely-inclined lower surface or wall 13. 'The upper surface of .each

p v tube is stepped, as shown at 14, the steps ex Mai - and slopes downward toward the front of the furnace. At such point there is provided a cleaning door and orifice 17, which admits of the ready removal of any refuse material.

The inner and larger ends of the blasttubes are arranged close together or in contact with each other, the tubes diverging therefrom toward their outer or smaller ends, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The stepped upper surfaces of the tubes are arranged about on a level with the surface 18 of the combustion-floor, thereby insuring a thorough commingling of air with the fuel as it moves over the combustion-floor. Located between the discharge end of the feeder and the stepped portions of the blast-tubes 11 are one or more spreaders 19. It is preferred to employ a spreader for each tube, although all of the spreaders may be formed of one piece or casting, if desired and as shown in Fig. 2. Each spreader comprises a hollow body with an abruptly-terminating rear end portion 20, having a series of perforations to allow the air-blast to pass therethrough and enter the fuel lodging upon the stepped portions of the tubes. The side portions of the spreaders are so inclined or concaved, as shown in Fig. 2, as to direct the fuel to the combustion-floor between the blast-tubes,and as the fuel moves along the combustion-floor it is subjected to the air-blasts which radiate from the stepped portions of said tubes.

The blast-tubes 11 are placed in communication with the blast-supply 7 by means of a connecting blast throat or neck 21. One end of said throat or neck is attached to the blastsupply 7, While the other end is preferably enlarged or expanded, as shown at 22, so as' to communicate with all of the blast-tubes, each of which is provided with an opening 23 to receive the air-supply, the openings 23 be ing located above the cleaning-orifices covered by the doors 17. An additional supply of air is admitted to the fire-boximmediately beneath the roof of the usual brick arch 24' 26 is a two-armed lever 28, carrying at each side of the ratchet-Wheel 27 a pair of dogs or pawls 29, either set of which may be thrown into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 27 for the purpose of rotating the ratchet-wheel in one direction or the other, as may be required, the said dogs 29 being pivotally mounted on the lever, as shown in Fig. 3. One arm of the lever is extended and coupled at 30 with the piston of a steam cylinder or engine 31, thus enabling the stoker to be operated automatically by steam generated in the boiler surmounting the fire-box.

The combustion-floor 18 may be extended any distance, as shown in Fig. t1, and overhangs and defines the roof of a soaking-pit 32. This soaking-pit is designed to receive the refuse or non-consumed products of combustion, and said products may be removed from the soaking-pit Whenever desired by means of a door 33.

Instead of making the feed-chamber cylindrical and employing a rotary feeding device, as hereinabove described, the feed-chamber, as well as the blast-chambersurrounding it, may be rectangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 7, in which case a reciprocatory feeder or pusher will probably be employed, it being obvious that the blast devices and radiator hereinabove described may be employed with any form or type of fuel-feeding mechanism.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the fuel is automatically handled from the time it is placed in the hopper until it is consumed, that it is uniformly spread or distributed along the combustion-floolgand that it is thoroughly charged with air from the time it leaves the feed-chamber until it passes off the combustion-floor and drops into the soaking-pit. By means of the particular construction of combined grate and blast-radiator hereinabove described a thorough mixture of air with the fuel is insured, thereby effecting a thorough coking and consumption of the fuel. By means of the blast-chamber and water-jacket surrounding the feed-chainber the parts of the stoker which are most exposed to the heat are kept cool, thereby materially increasing the life and durability of the stoker as a whole.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic stoker a combined grate and blast-radiator comprising a plurality of blast-tubes diverging toward their discharge ends, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic stoker, a blast-radiator comprising a plurality of blast-tubes diverging toward their discharge ends and embodying stepped upper surfaces.

3. In an automatic stoker, a blast-radiator comprising a plurality of blast-tubes having a stepped upper surfaces with reversely-beveled obliquely-disposed edges provided with air-ports.

4.. In an automatic stoker, the combination with fuel-feeding mechanism, of a blast-tube having an inclined and stepped upper sur face, the stepped portions of which embody angularly-disposed sides which are provided with air-ports.

5. The combination withfuel-feedingmechanism, of a series of blast-tubes radiating or diverging from the discharge end of the feeder, each blast-tube having its upper surface stepped and provided with air-ports arranged at an angle to each other to produce divergent air-jets.

6. The combination with fuel-feeding mechanism, of an inclined combustion-floor sloping from the feeder downward and a series of blast-tubes having stepped upper surfaces approximately on the level of the combustionfioor, the said stepped surfaces being provided with angularly-disposed air-ports or blast-openings.

7. The combination withfuel-feedingmechanism,0f a series of blast-tubes radiating or diverging froin the discharge end of the feeder and a stationary spreader located between the discharge end of the feeder and the blast tubes, and acting to laterally diverta portion of the moving fuel.

8. The combination with fuel-feeding mechanism, of a series of blast-tubes radiating from the discharge end of the feeder and comprising stepped upper surfaces having blast-openings, and one or more spreaders located between the feeder and the blast-tubes and adapted to direct the fuel between the blasttubes.

9. Thecombination-with fuel-feedingmechanism, of a series of blast-tubes radiating therefrom and comprising stepped upper surfaces having blast-openings, and one or more spreaders located between the feeder and the blast-tubes and also provided with blast-openings arranged to discharge over the blasttubes.

10. In an automatic stoker,a feed-chamber, a feeder operating therein, an annular blastchamber surrounding the feed-chamber, a blast-supply leading to the blast-chamber, a series of blast-pipes radiating from the discharge end of the feed-chamber, and a blast throat or neck connecting the blast-supply and blast-tubes. I

11. In an automatic stoker,the combination with fuel-feeding mechanism, ofone or more blast-tubes arranged at the discharge end of the feeder, each blast-tube comprising an in clined and stepped upper surface having discharge-ports, a bottom wall or floor inclined reversely to the stepped surface, and a cleaning door or orifice located near the lower end of the inclined floor. V

12. In an automatic stoker, a feed-chamber, a feeder operating therein, a blast-chamber surrounding the feed-chamber and provided 'with ports leading to the firebox, a series of blast-tubes radiating from the discharge end of the feeder,and a common blast-supply communicating with the blast-chamber and blasttubes.

13. In an automatic stoker,the combiuatio with a fuel-feeding device, and a blast-chamber surrounding the fuel-feeding device and having ports leading to the fire-box, of a se-V ries of blast-tubes arranged below the level of the feeder and radiating from the discharge end thereof, a blast-supply leading to the blast-chamber and a blast throat or neck leading from the blast-supply to the blast- 15. In an automatic stoker, the combination with a feed-chamber, and a feeding device mounted therein, of a blast-chamber surrounding the feed-chamber and provided with discharge-openings adjacent to the discharge end of the feeder,a blast-supply communicating with the blast-chamber, an arch extending over the discharge end of the feeder, and one or more blast-pipes leading through the wall of the furnace and discharging immediately beneath the arch. e In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. w

HARRY L. WILSON.

Witnesses:

' G. L. PERKINS, L. E. TORRY. 

